Pile fabric



Dec. 15, 1953 E. P. MERSEREAU, JR., ET AL PILE FABRIC Filed NOV. 24, 1950 /4 I .557' wv/JT I I ,QE/rauf TEMPORARY .SETI

. l' /7 Bnventors 4/7 77 /Z .7E/mf C. LME/*HERMA (Inox-neg Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED S'iAThS PILE FABRIC of New York Application November .24, 1950, Serial No. 197,386

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pile fabrics such as rugs or carpets for fioor covering and more particularly to a pile fabric in which some or all of ythe pile are in a soft, regularly coiled condition.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending application Serial No. 131,562 led December 7, 1949, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide a floor covering having a novel and improved appearance.

Another object is to provid-e a novel and improved floor covering which is woven with pile of uniform height by standard v.feavin'-r processes and when finished presents a Sculptured effect.

Another obj-ect is to provide a novel and improved method for treating the pile yarn to condition the same for weaving in standard weaving processes and for altering the condi-tion of the pile after weaving to produce a desired effect.

Another object is to provide a method of the Iabove type which is particularly suited for weaving on standard Aziminster spool looms.

Another object is to provide a pile tuft in the form of a helix having novel and improved characteristics.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

It is impractical to weave pile yarn `in a highly curled condition on Axminster spool looms because the curled yarn ends protruding from the tubes of the loom spools would be difficult to position properly between the warp and tolsecure by the usual filler shots. Also the standard Axminster loom requires that all of the pile tufts the pile tufts may be woven in the usual manner to produce a surface in which the tufts are straight and of uniform height. After weaving, however, the tufts are caused to alter their oondition so that all or a selected portion of the tufts coil into a helix of less height and greater coverage than the straight pile. If the pretreated tufts are combined with standard tufts a Sculptured effect is produced.

More speciically, for Axminster weaves the pile tufts are produced from yarn of two or more plies. This yarn is first given a high or hard twist in one direction, and is permanently set. It is then given a reverse twist of a sufcient number of turns to pass the zero twist point and impart a loose twist in the reverse direction, after which the yarn is given a temporary set while held in a straight condition. This yarn with the temporary set is then woven as pile using the standard Axminster loom spools. After the weaving operation the fabric is subjected to cleaning and steaming under conditions to remove the temporary set, whereupon the reverse twisted yarn relaxes and the plies separate and coil helically about the axis of the pile to produce individual interleaved helices.

The process is also applicable to velvet and Wilton looms. With these looms, however, the temporary set is not ordinarily required, nor is it necessary to hold the yarn under a straightening tension for either the permanent set or the temporary set as the pile warp are held under suficient tension on the loom to remain straight during the weaving and will assume the above mentioned coiled condition when ythe tension is :released by cutting the pile loops.

The novel features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed descripfton, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which `a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. i is a diagram illustrating the steps in the process as applied to an Axminster weave;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a typical floor covering embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is 4an enlarged vertical section showing the condition of the fabric after weaving on an Axminster loom and before treating the same to relax the pile yarn; and

Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the fabric after the pile yarn has been relaxed.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, Figs. 3 and a illustrate a typical Axminster Weave which includes three double weft or filler shots l, Il and l2 for each row of pile tufts lli, two Stufer yarns I5 and l5, anda chain yarn il. It is to be understood that the weave may be varied as in standard Axminster practice and that a specific arrangement has been shown for purposes of illustration only. In `any case the Weave is characterized by groups of double filler shots and a suitable number of stuifer yarns and chain yarns to bind the rows of tufts.

The pile yarns are set in the usual manner on an Axminster setting frame in accordance with the selected design and the yarns for the various pile tufts of each row are wound on separate spools having tubes from which the ends ceases project for weaving. After a row of tufts has been woven from the loom spools into the backing, the ends are cut and the next spool is brought into weaving position.

In accordance with this invention the reverse twisted yarns and the standard yarns are wound on the spools to form the pattern. The standard yarns are formed in the usual manner. The reverse twisted yarns are formed by the steps illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the plied yarn which coni-v prises two or more plies is given an initial high twist in one direction. It is then steamed and set. This set may be effected while held under suicient tension to hold the yarn in a straight condition. It may be skein set, however, if the yarn is to be woven under straightening tension on the Wilton or velvet looms or if the subsequent temporary set is effected under conditions to hold the yarn straight until it is relaxed after weaving on the Axminster loom.

The twisted and set yarn is then given a re-Y verse twist of sufcient turns to produce a loose twist in the opposite direction. It is then moistened and dried to produce a temporary set while under suflicient tension to hold the yarn in straight condition for Axminster weaving. For Wilton or velvet weaving the temporary set may be omitted. It is then wound on the Axminster loom spools and woven as pile on a standard AX- minster loom or is woven as pile warp on a Wilton or velvet loom in accordance with standard practice.

The number of turns depends upon the size of the yarn and the number of plies, more turns being ordinarily required for the smaller yarns than for the larger ones. In any event a suiicient number of turns are applied in the original direction to produce a tight twist. This may vary from to 10 turns for a 3 ply 1.30s wool yarn. The number of turns in the reverse direction is sufficient to produce only a loose twist and may for example comprise about half of the number of turns of the original twist.

The resultant Axminster fabric may include a combination of standard tufts I4 and reverse twisted tufts with the latter tufts temporarily in straight form as shown in Fig. 3. The fabric is then given the usual finishing process such as cleaning and steaming. The steaming does not affect the standard yarn tufts which have been given a permanent set. However, it removes the temporary set from the reverse twisted yarn tufts whereupon the latter relax and the individual plies separate and coil into individual helices with the plies interleaved to form a multiple helix as shown in Fig. 4. M

A fabric is illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein the standard pile IA constitutes the background and 4 the coiled pile 20 the design. Obviously these elements may be reversed or the fabric may be formed entirely of the coiled pile.

For weaving on the Wilton and velvet looms the high twist yarn may be skein set and the temporary set may be omitted as above indicated since the pile warp is held under tension on the loom during weaving and is woven in the usual manner. When the warp is cut after weaving the tension is released and the tufts relax and coil in the same manner as indicated above.

The entire fabric may be formed from the reverse twisted and relaxed yarn to produce the novel and pleasing effect above described. In the case of a Wilton loom, a jacquard mechanism may be used to form a design which will produce the s culptured effect.

The invention is not restricted to the specific forms shown, but may be applied to various uses as will be Iapparent to a. person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A pile fabric comprising a 'backing and pile tufts secured therein, at least some of said tufts comprising yarns having two or more plies with a final plying twist of a given hand but being preset with an initial plying twist of the opposite hand, said tufts having upstanding legs in which the individual plies are separated and coiled in interleaved helical form due to having been under a strain resulting from said preset initial twist of opposite hand.

2. A pile fabric comprising a backing and pile tufts secured therein, some of said tufts having straight upstanding legs, others of said tufts comprising yarns having two or more plies with a final plying twist of a given hand but being pre-v set with an initial plying twist of the opposite hand, said other tufts having upstanding legs in which the individual plies are separated and coiled in interleaved helical form and pulled down below the level of said first tufts due to having been under a strain resulting from said preset initial twist of opposite hand.

EMORY P. MERSEREAU, JR. JEAN C. WETHERILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

Number Name Date 1,661,018 Stroud Feb. 28, 1928 2,058,948 Blumenthal et al. Oct. 27, 1936 2,430,425 Jackson Nov. 4, 1947 2,509,351 Reinhardt et a1. May 30, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 474,401 Great Britain Nov. 1, 1937 592,592 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1947 

